


Something Creative

by spideysmjs



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Christmas, F/M, Fluff, Gift Giving, Holiday Season, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Pre-Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:20:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21857467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideysmjs/pseuds/spideysmjs
Summary: He stares at the ripped notebook paper with Mr. Harrington’s chicken scratch handwriting.MJPeter gets Michelle for Secret Santa, and he totally flips out.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Michelle Jones
Comments: 25
Kudos: 142





	Something Creative

**Author's Note:**

> A little drabble because I've been emotional about Homecoming era. And the first holiday-themed fic I've written, ever. It's not the best, but it alleviated the HC breakdown I had, lol. Enjoy!

He stares at the ripped notebook paper with Mr. Harrington’s chicken scratch handwriting. 

_MJ_

There are only a few things that Peter knows about Michelle Jones: she loves to read, she’s been captain of the Academic Decathlon team for two months now, and she thinks he’s a loser. So when he pulls her name out of the Santa hat for the Academic Decathlon team’s Secret Santa, he’s at a loss for words or ideas on what to get her. 

And normally, Peter’s excited about all things holiday, especially when it involves his Aca Dec pals (minus Flash because, well, it’s Flash), but having to get Michelle gifts? It’s hard. 

Peter doesn’t know why he wants to impress her so much, but maybe it’s the way she stares daggers into his eyes when he says he has to leave early from practice, even though he’s done a better job of staying committed - he promises. Or maybe it’s the way she’s always nose deep into her books during lunchtime, Peter always wanting to talk to her about this, that, or the other thing, but too afraid to really say much because any time he does, she throws him off with a sarcasm that makes Peter’s ears burn.

“Michelle, like team captain Michelle?” May asks over the chicken alfredo pasta leftover from the night before. Peter’s been more devoted to not just Academic Decathlon but also helping his aunt make their dinners more edible. He’s learned a lot since Homecoming, reminding himself that he needs to stay grounded before taking up any space in the Avengers facility. 

He loves the easy life of a teenager, scheduling his hours of Spider-Manning to a specific time slot while he focuses on his studies and friends, wondering why he had been so reluctant in living his _life_ before. But then he thinks of Michelle again, and maybe being a teenager is a lot harder than stopping a bank robbery or a derailed train. 

Actually, it definitely is.

“Yeah,” Peter swirls the fettuccine around his fork, the creaminess of the pasta stickier than when it was cooked yesterday. “I don’t know what she likes. Well, I know a couple of things, but I know she doesn’t like me all that much, so she’s probably not even going to like it which makes me freaking out about it so much more pointless and–”

“Peter,” May says softly, resting a hand on his arm from across the table. “Breathe.” 

“Sorry,” he shoves a forkful of pasta in his mouth. 

“What do you mean she doesn’t like you?” May tilts her head. 

“I don’t know,” he shrugs, “she always calls me and Ned dork or loser, or any variation of those words. And she’s always staring at me like I’m doing something wrong.”

“Well, you kind of are a trouble-maker, Pete.”

“May.” 

She smiles. “But that doesn’t sound like she doesn’t like you.” 

He looks up from his plate with hopeful eyes. “Really?”

“When I was in high school, you know when dinosaurs roamed the earth,” she laughs, “I used to make fun of all the boys I liked.” 

Peter drops his fork, blinking rapidly at May. “No, no. MJ doesn’t like me like _that_. Not even.” 

“MJ?” May leans forward. 

“It’s her nickname,” he murmurs, picking up his fork again and focusing on the dinner, avoiding her intrusive eye contact. 

“Hm,” she leans back. “Why don’t you try to figure out what she wants? Did Harrington make you all submit a little wishlist?” 

“Mr. Harrington planning thoroughly?” he furrows his eyebrows. 

“Right. When’s the big reveal?” 

“Next Thursday, at our last meeting of the semester.” 

“Well, you figure out what Michelle wants, and we’ll go to the mall this weekend.” 

“Cool!” Peter pulls a tight grin. “I mean, thank you, May.” 

* * *

Peter nudges Ned for the second time at lunch, wide eyes signaling his best friend to attempt trying to help him out for Secret Santa. Ned straightens his back, edging closer to Michelle’s secluded area of the lunch table the three share. Maybe May’s right, maybe she doesn’t dislike Peter or Ned because she _has_ moved significantly closer to them since October and sometimes when they’re lucky, MJ joins in on their conversations rather than making sly one-off comments that throw them off guard.

“So, MJ,” Ned starts, drumming his fingers on the table with his nerves almost as equally terrible as Peter’s. “Picked up any new hobbies lately?” 

She sets her book down, eyes squinting at Ned. “Maybe.” 

“Nice! Me too,” Ned’s voice lingers, Peter’s eyes roaming around the cafeteria landing anywhere that isn’t close to Michelle’s vicinity. 

“Like what?” 

“What?”

“You said ‘me too.’ So I asked, ‘like what?’” MJ furrowed her brows. 

“Right. I… knit,” Ned panics. Peter wants to slam his head against the table but refrains by taking a rather large bite of his packed lunch.

“You _knit_?” she asks. “Like… like a grandmother?” 

Ned shrugs. “I learned from Peter.” 

“No, he didn’t,” Peter yelps. 

“That’s… cute,” Michelle snorts. Her laugh kind of makes Peter’s heart jump, but he pushes that thought away for later and continues to ponder what kind of gift she would appreciate. “I’ve been into reading murder novels.” 

“Oh,” Peter breathes.

“Did you know the Black Dahlia murder was never solved? There have been so many theories that have adapted to movies and books. I don’t even think I’ve read them all.” 

Ned and Peter remain silent, Peter feeling slightly uncomfortable and doing his best not to show it because, despite the uneasy feeling of an unsolved murder in his Spidey head, he cares about MJ’s stories and wants to learn more about what interests her outside of the world of academics. 

“Sorry,” she says, making Peter realize the two have gone silent for longer than a beat.

He shakes his head and smiles. “No, it’s okay. What else do you know?” 

Michelle springs into a full-on case analysis of Elizabeth Short’s history and the potential suspects and different facts she’s memorized. It’s interesting the way she’s animated throughout their entire conversation. She doesn’t allow Ned or Peter to talk all that much, which is a complete turnaround considering Michelle isn’t too fond of sharing much, with anyone at all.

The lunch bell rings, and although Peter’s not successful in figuring out what Michelle wants as a gift, he’s learned more about her than he’s ever known - which is a big accomplishment in his eyes. 

* * *

It’s their second to the last meeting, and there’s not much to go over because their next competition isn’t until after the New Year, but knowing MJ, Peter figures they’ll be going over drills regardless of the break considering their next meeting was a holiday potluck and not an opportunity to study the materials. 

He makes sure to get to the library extra early to sneak a request for Mr. Harrington to write wishlists for Secret Santa. But, even as he rushes straight out of the door from AP Physics, receiving one dark glare from Ms. Warren, Michelle’s already there setting up the tables to his dismay. 

“You’re early,” she comments. “That’s new.” 

“There’s a first for everything?” he asks. 

“Or you’re trying to make up for having to leave early for some mysterious secret.” 

He stops pacing their little section in the library. “I don’t have any secrets.” 

She stops laying out their folders for a second. “Everyone has secrets, Parker.” 

“Yeah, I guess bu–” 

“Good afternoon MJ! Oh, Peter. You’re here early, that’s good,” Harrington strides into the library and saves Peter from the inescapable conversation. He catches MJ tuck in a grin. “What’s the plan today?” 

“We can go over drills about the French Revolution. I noticed we’re slacking a little in our history portion based on the mid-semester assessments,” Michelle states in a way that makes Peter realize what a natural leader she truly is and how admirable it is that she keeps up with the progress of every Academic Decathlon member. She really cares – even if their lousy classmates don’t understand. 

“Peter?” Harrington interrupts him from his thoughts. 

“Sorry, what?” Peter responds, doing his best to hide his embarrassment. 

“Why are you here early?” 

“Oh, actually, I needed to talk to you in private,” Peter says as Harrington looks at Michelle. 

“It’s cool, I’ll grab a snack from the vending machine or something,” she comments, looking directly at Peter. When she’s gone, he takes a deep breath and faces Harrington again. 

“What’s up, Peter? Not trying to quit the team again, are you?” he pries. 

“No, never. I wanted to talk to you about the Secret Santa exchange,” he starts, “because I think we should make wishlists since it’s hard to really know what people want.” 

“I suppose,” Harrington scratches his beard. “Sure, Peter. We can do that.” 

When Michelle returns, she drops a bag of gummy worms on the table. “They’re out of sour ones. Are you two done?” 

Harrington nods. “I have to go grab some things from my office, so I’ll be back.” 

There are five minutes until Decathlon practice officially begins, most of their team members waiting until the very last minute to show up to the library (and usually Peter’s in that same group). 

“So, are you quitting the team?” Michelle breaks the silence. 

Peter blinks. “No, I’m not. Why does everyone think that?”

“You have a record for it,” she shrugs, opening the bag of gummy worms and offering some to Peter. He grabs the yellow and green one, his favorite.

“Sorry,” is all he can really say. A beat. “Hey, you like drawing right?”

“Yeah,” she raises her eyebrows. “Why?”

“I’ve been thinking of getting into it! Sketching. What, um, what kind of pencils or whatever are the best for it?” 

“Well, the top tier brand is Prismacolor,” she answers quickly. “That’s essential for artists. But if you’re starting off then… Crayola.” 

“That’s like the kid brand!” he huffs. Art supplies are definitely out of the picture when getting her gift. 

“Yup,” she pops another gummy in her mouth as people start to shuffle in. He shakes his head at her joke. 

Before they start the drills, Harrington passes poster paper for the team to write their hobbies and other items under $30 that they might want from their Secret Santa. After practice finishes, everyone huddles up to take a photo of the poster board – that way the secrets remain a secret.

Peter looks at what’s written underneath Michelle’s name and smiles, knowing exactly what he’s going to do for the gift exchange. 

* * *

“Are you sure you have everything?” May double checks, pushing the cart at the craft store. 

“Yup.”

“She’s going to love it,” May rests her hand on Peter’s shoulder before going to the register. 

“We need to stop by the bookstore,” he reminds her.

May tilts her head. “I thought it was just going to be one gift.”

“But she mentioned something else today, and it can’t just be this one because what if I mess up?” 

“You’re not going to mess up,” she says. Peter frowns at her, nerves building up in the pit of his stomach.

“But it’s MJ,” he adds. 

May softens at his rebuttal. “Okay.” 

* * *

_Something creative._

He can do this, sitting on the floor of his bedroom with scissors, glue, construction paper, and random trinkets he’s found in the clearance section at the art store. Peter has somewhat of an idea of what to do for Michelle, but he doesn’t want to mess up. He’s even bought a backup gift in case she totally hates what he’s about to attempt to do. 

Peter reserves all of Saturday morning and afternoon to work on the gift, and hopefully finish it. He pulls up the official rules of the board game he was inspired by and begins crafting. 

As he works on the present, Peter thinks about the different ways she might react at each part of the gift, laughing at the million faces she’ll be making when she opens her gift. There’s something in Peter’s gut, tugging at him when he thinks about Michelle. He tells himself repeatedly it’s the spirit of the season and the gratitude that comes with gift-giving that’s warming his heart like a steaming mug of hot cocoa. There’s nothing like the holiday season that lights up his eyes like a decorated neighborhood, and when he looks at the finished product, Peter thinks Michelle’s eyes will light up the same way. 

It’s perfect. Something creative. Something she’ll like, and something that will hopefully make Peter tolerable to her moving forward. 

* * *

“Okay, okay settle down team,” Harrington calms the crowd of hyper high schoolers after they’ve finished their potluck combination – everyone bringing brownies, cookies, or cupcakes and they’re all hooked on sugar. “It’s time to start your gift exchange.” 

The rule is for the person’s Secret Santa to go up to the room and describe the person they’re giving their gift to. It’s a sweet sentiment, but it only makes Peter more anxious to go up in front of the class and say something about MJ that sounds just right coming from him. He doesn’t know her very well, but he knows her enough to know she doesn’t like to be put in the spotlight, remembering the way she blushed when Harrington first named her as the new captain. 

Peter doesn’t want to overstep, he doesn’t want to embarrass her, but he wants her to know that he thinks she’s awesome and funny in a dark kind of way, which is the best kind of funny. He spirals into a deep thought of what to say, wanting it to be perfect – a thought so deep that he barely realized Cindy’s called his name signaling that she’s his Secret Santa.

“Peter,” she repeats, louder and clearer. He shoots her an apologetic look because he’s missed her entire spiel about him, too busy watching the way MJ shifts at the mention of his name. She looks down at the gift she has wrapped in old newspapers – a very MJ way to wrap a present. 

“Thank you,” Peter says as he walks up and accepts his gift. He walks up with his giant box and a paper bag with the backup gift. After setting the packages for Michelle down, he opens the gift Cindy’s given him: R2D2 socks, a $15 gift card to Starbucks, and a graphic tee that says, “my puns are…” with a koala in a teacup underneath. He thanks her with a tight hug and awaits his turn. 

Peter stands in front of his team, nervous at how he’ll begin his little reveal. He looks at Ned, who shoots him a subtle thumbs-up, eyes bright with encouragement. He definitely put too much effort into Michelle’s gift, Peter wanting to just give her the book he bought as a backup rather than explaining his initial idea. 

But a book isn’t creative, and that’s what Michelle wrote on her wishlist. 

“So,” he starts. “This person’s probably one of the coolest people I know…” 

“It’s me, Penis, I know it is,” Flash interrupts, making a statement that everyone ignores.

Peter shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “Uh… she has a different way of thinking. A creative way. And she’s helped shape the team a lot because she’s a good leader. And when she said she wanted something creative, I took it a little too seriously. So I hope she doesn’t hate what I made because all I wanted was to impress our team captain.” 

Everyone looks to Michelle, who’s looking directly at Peter. Her eyes are soft but shy as she lifts herself from the seat and walks to the present. When she gets to the front, Peter slides the big box from his edge of the table to hers. 

“I hope you like it,” he mumbles so the team doesn’t hear him, “but if you don’t, that’s why I got you two things.” 

She licks her lips nervously. “Thanks, Peter."

The way she says his first name makes him want to hear it over and over again. 

“Just open it already!” Ned remarks, Peter giving him daggers because he already knows what the gift is after their late-night conversation last weekend, Ned reassuring Peter that it’s a wonderful present. 

Michelle rips the penguin wrapper off of the gift (he won’t tell her that Aunt May wrapped it for him), revealing a board game-style box with the title “Clue: Academic Decathlon Edition” and a picture from their win at Nationals, sans-Peter because he was off Spider-Manning. She lifts off the top of the box, revealing cardboard that’s cut in a way that folds out like an actual game. 

Each member of the team is a character, with weapons associated with objects that can be found around their school (a history book, a mixture of chemicals, and tennis shoes - to name a few). The board is a map of Midtown, and the center is the library where the team meets weekly. 

“We can all play when we’re done opening gifts,” Peter comments, peering over her shoulder as she brushes her fingers at the details of the board. 

“Peter,” she breathes. “It’s great. Thank you.” 

From the thousands of scenarios Peter created in his head about the way MJ would react at his gift, nothing beats the way he watches her eyes glisten with a happiness that he’s never seen before. He expected a sarcastic remark, a comment about the way he couldn’t quite color within the lines, or laughter at his try-hard attempt to impress her, but she smiles with a tint of pink peaking on her chiseled cheekbones and a crinkle near her eyes that Peter’s only noticed now. 

It’s a look that he wants to see more often.

“Okay, let’s move on quickly so everyone can have their moment together,” Harrington’s comment makes both Peter and MJ shuffle away from the center of attention, Peter ducking his head down as he makes his way back to the table with his gift from Cindy in his hands. 

The team finishes their exchange of presents, sharing and displaying the new items they could take home tonight. None of them, Peter thinks, tops what he gave Michelle, but he keeps those thoughts to himself. He watches Michelle, Ned, and Abe play a round of _Clue_ , laughing at their arguments and accusations. He doesn’t participate, only looking at the way Michelle enjoyed herself. She’d look up at him during the game, sneaking glances that he’d catch because he’d already been looking at her, Peter too absorbed by her energy to look away. 

After having cleaned up the library, the students’ stomachs full of sweets and hearts full of holiday spirit, Peter and Ned make their way out of the library before MJ calls out to him. 

He urges Ned to walk forward, saying he’ll catch up with him later. 

“Hey,” Michelle says.

“Hi,” he says. “It's so cheesy and lame and not the best, but I hope you lik-”

“I loved it, Peter. Thank you,” she tucks a bit of her curly hair behind her ear. “And the book, too. I’ve read _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ before, but I never owned my own copy.” 

“I’m sorry the game’s not in pristine condition. It’s kind of janky and broken because I messed up when folding the cardboard for the first time.”

“I actually like it better broken,” she reassures him, and his heart sings. A beat. “I got you something, too.” 

“But you didn’t pick me for Secret Santa.” 

“Yeah, but Flash wasn’t that fun to get a present for,” she rolls her eyes. She unzips her backpack, pulling out a small paper bag to give to Peter. “Plus, I saw it and thought of you.” 

He opens the paper bag to reveal a plastic watch with red and blue colors. He blinks at the colors, hoping it’s a coincidence that it matches his secret identity.

“You’re always late,” she gives him a light punch on the shoulder, her touch lingering in his head. Peter laughs as he puts the watch on his wrist. “It’s not a murder mystery game, but–”

Without thinking, he brings his arms around her, giving her a big embrace. “I love it, MJ.” 

He’s not sure if he’s ever hugged MJ, but he’s sure that her touch is soothing and her hair smells like coconut. Peter lets go quickly, eyes locking with her. 

“I guess that’s why you asked more about the murder mysteries I’ve been watching.”

“Kind of. But I do think it’s really cool,” he grins. “I’ve never met anyone like you, MJ.” 

“Thanks,” she looks down, still pulling back her smile. “You too.” 

His ears feel warm and his stomach feels fuzzy. “I mean, Academic Decathlon’s _Clue_ isn’t as mysterious and freaky as the Black Dahlia.”

“I don’t think I’d want it to be,” she shrugs, both of them walking towards the double doors of the school. “But since we solve the mystery every time, the game doesn’t give me as many chills as my favorite murder story. Sorry, Parker.” 

“I tried,” he nudges her. She nudges back. He makes sure to save this information for another time – he’ll save up for the next gift he can give MJ, maybe for her birthday. Or maybe just cause. 

Because when they say bye, and she waves him off as they part ways, he sees the hop in her step as she holds the board game to her chest until she’s out of sight. 

And maybe, just maybe Peter can see that same happiness again, already having an idea of what to give MJ next. 

**Author's Note:**

> Twitter: @spideysmj / Tumblr: @briens
> 
> And yes, I referenced FFH quotes in this. Don't @ me.


End file.
